


Cupid (2006)

by JennieB (JennyB)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Cute, First Kiss, Games, M/M, Secret Admirer, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-02-14
Updated: 2006-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-21 18:29:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1559930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennieB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Valentine's Day, and Jou's got a bone to pick with a flying cherub...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cupid (2006)

As the faint, melodious refrains penetrated his waking conscious, Jounouchi groaned and tried to bury his head further underneath his pillow. His father, a former USAF helicopter pilot, had always had a penchant for American music – particularly the `oldies', and had just turned the volume up on the radio. He hated the campy lyrics on the best of days, but today, it was `Eros Casanova's Top 100 Love Songs' in honour of Valentine's Day. He was just reaching for the second pillow when his bedroom door burst open and his father came in, singing along with Sam Cooke's `Cupid'.

Yanking the pillow from his son's head, he said happily, "Get up, Katsuya! Love is in the air, and breakfast will be on the table in ten minutes." Pulling up the blind and dropping the pillow onto the floor, he strode from the room, once again, singing.

"Fuck," Jou muttered as he finally clued in to the lyrics, for the first time in his seventeen years cursing the fact that he understood English. Grumbling to himself, he started to dress for school, wishing that he, too, had someone to share the day with. It seemed that out of his group of friends, he was the only one who was still single – Yugi had been seeing Anzu since the start of the year, and Otogi, after staging an elaborate scheme to garner the other's attention, had finally started dating Honda just last week. Even his father had been bitten by the love bug. In October, he had decided enough was enough and had started attending weekly meetings in an attempt to curb his alcoholism. There, he had met a woman, and the two had immediately hit it off. Seiku had had a tremendous influence on the senior Jounouchi – not only had he completely given up drinking and severed his ties with his `less reputable' friends, but he'd also managed to pass his civilian aviation examinations, and was now working as a charter pilot for tour groups.

Despite his current, sulky mood, Jou couldn't help a small smile. It was nice seeing his dad back to the way he remembered him being, before the booze and the gambling. Hell, it was nice to have a family again. He padded off to the bathroom and was in the process of brushing out his golden mane when he heard his dad call out that breakfast was now on the table. "Yeah, coming Dad," he shouted back, scowling at his reflection. As he headed for the kitchen, he stopped and sniffed the air. "Pancakes!" he called out, grinning when he saw his father standing in front of the stove, spatula in one hand, and wearing an apron. "Cute look."

"Shut up," the elder man replied with a smirk, giving his son a swat on the rear end with the utensil. Deftly, he flipped the cake onto a platter, and then carried it over to the table. Sliding into his chair, he looked across the table at Jou.

Jounouchi grinned as his father passed him the plate, his smile faltering slightly when he saw that the pancakes had been made into the shape of little hearts. "Hey," he exclaimed weakly, "Look at this!" Feeling his own heart clench, he grabbed his knife and started cutting them up into tiny, unrecognizable pieces.

The stockier blond beamed. "Yeah, I figured since it was Valentine's Day, I'd be all creative and shit." He watched curiously as Jou hurriedly hacked up his breakfast and then doused the whole mess in maple syrup. "Katsuya, are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine," he replied as he shovelled a forkful of the mush into his mouth, a strained smile on his face. Looking to change the subject, he asked, "So, do you and Seiku have any plans for tonight?" He saw his father's face flush before he dropped his green eyes to his own plate. "Dad, what is it?"

Clearing his throat, he looked at Jou and said, "I love her, Kid. Tonight, I'm taking her to `The Golden Daffodil', and I'm going to give her this." He fumbled in the pocket of his apron, took out a small ring box, and handed it across the table.

"An engagement ring?" Jou asked as he opened the lid and looked at the small, but flawless, princess-cut diamond. "It's beautiful, Dad." He snapped the lid closed and handed the box back to his father with a sigh.

"Do you think it's too soon?" the older man asked apprehensively as he rifled a hand through his hair.

"No, Dad, I don't. You make her happy, she obviously makes you happy; why shouldn't you be together?"

Sighing in relief, the elder Jounouchi pocketed the box and beamed at his son. "If she says yes, I've also reserved a room at the Domino Arms." Giving him a wink and a brilliant grin, he said, "So no offence, but hopefully I won't see you tonight."

Forcing a smile to his face, he gave his dad a thumbs-up and grabbed his backpack. "Yeah, well, I didn't want your ugly puss around here anyway." Giving his dad a congratulatory hug, he waved good-bye and stepped out into the hallway, his shoulders slumping as soon as he was down the stairs. Jamming his hands in his pockets, he trudged to school, wondering why that fat, little flying cherub had managed to get everyone _except_ him. As he climbed the stairs to the school, he was passed by a bunch of girls carrying boxes of chocolates, all giggling giddily. "Hey, watch where you're going!" he groused after them before making his way to his locker and irritably flinging his bag inside. He gave a small yelp when he felt something strike him in the ass, and as he whirled around, ready to give whoever a piece of his mind, he froze, his mouth dropping open in shock. "What the fuck are you wearing?"

Honda sighed as he slung the plastic bow over his shoulder and tugged at the sheet that had been wrapped around him like a diaper. "It's Valentine's Day, and as a school spirit thing, the cheerleaders convinced the principal that it would be a `good idea' to have the basketball team dress up like Cupid and deliver flowers and chocolates and shit during homeroom and first period. God, I feel ridiculous."

The blond laughed, despite himself. "Yeah, well you look it, too. _Now_ you know why I never had any interest in those stupid sports teams you seem to love so much." He bent down and retrieved the plastic arrow with the suction-cup end from the floor and handed it back to the stocky brunet. "Here… I'm a lost cause; use this on someone you can _really_ help."

"You need all the help you can get, man." Smirking as Jou flipped him off, he twirled the arrow around his finger before shoving it back into the Bristol board cone he was using as a quiver, knocking several of the seagull feathers that had been pasted to his cardboard `wings' to the ground. Hiking up his diaper once more, he headed off for the gym while Jou headed for his homeroom.

As he approached his desk, Jou slowed his pace, eyeing the desktop curiously. There, in the centre, was a large chocolate heart and a red rose. Looking around, he saw no one else was in the room, and as he sat down, he noticed a bit of white sticking out from underneath the treat. Realizing it was a note, he hesitantly slid the card free and read:

_I'm offering you my heart. Will you accept it?_

Frowning, he turned the card over, looking for more information. There was no name, and he didn't recognize the handwriting. Hoping the candy would provide more insight, he picked it up, his eyes glowing with delight when he saw it was dark chocolate with a raspberry crème filling. Other than learning that the sweet had come from a chocolatier in Domino, he had no further clue as to the identity of the sender. The warning bell rang, and as students began filing into the classroom, he sighed and pushed his gift to the corner of his desk. So, he had a secret admirer – but whom? Once classes had begun, he tuned out the sensei and returned to the task of trying to figure out who it could be. In his mind, he knew who he _wanted_ it to be and, holding his breath nervously, he chanced a glance to his left. His face fell when he saw Kaiba Seto sitting with his arms crossed, his deep, blue eyes glued to the instructor, a bored expression on his face. With a sigh, he lightly fingered the card before he pulled out his textbook. History was one of his best subjects, but given how this particular teacher had a penchant for throwing him into detention on a whim, he figured he should at least attempt to look like he was paying attention. As he flipped through the tome to the correct page, he missed the quick flick of eyes in his direction and the most imperceptible upward curve of lips.

* * *

By lunch, Jou was no closer to figuring out who his secret admirer was than he had been when he'd first discovered the gift. He caught up with Honda just outside the cafeteria and noted that the stocky brunet had changed back into his uniform. He also noted that he had several lipstick kisses in varying shades on his forehead. Secretly, he half hoped Otogi would find him like that before he could wash it off. "So, rumour has it that you lost your diaper somewhere between the second and third floors," Jou remarked casually as they stood in line for their meal.

"Who the fuck told you that?" Honda griped as he chose a bottle of apple juice from one of the bins, suddenly turning to smirk at the blond. "Doesn't matter, I was wearing my gym shorts underneath. Unlike Hiro. Poor guy flashed an entire senior-year typing class."

The pair was still laughing when they joined Yugi and Anzu, who had been in the middle of an intimate tête-à-tête. As they sat down, Anzu nodded at the two, suddenly arching an eyebrow and hissing, "Honda, go wash your face – you've got lipstick everywhere!"

Blushing furiously, the brunet swiped at his face with a paper napkin, turning pleading eyes to Yugi to inform him when everything had been removed. Focusing his attention back on Jou, he swatted him in the arm and demanded, "Why the hell didn't you say anything, you ass?"

Shrugging, Jou forced his gaze down to his bowl of soup, biting his cheek to keep from snickering. Jamming a large spoonful of noodles in his mouth, he muttered, "Didn't notice," hoping that the food had masked the amusement in his voice. When he had finished chewing, he asked, "Where's `togi?" It wasn't that he was interested in the raven-haired teen's whereabouts. He was just enjoying not feeling like a fifth wheel.

"Oh, he had to go see his drama teacher about something or other; I'm sure he'll be along soon," Honda replied as he poured his juice out into a cup. "Hey Yugi, what'd Anzu get you for Valentine's Day?"

"Oh, um…she said that I'd get my present later on, after school," the spike-haired teen replied, glancing sidelong at his girlfriend and blushing. Reddening further at the catcalls from Jou and Honda, he quickly changed the subject. "Hey Jou, what did you get this morning?"

Glancing around furtively, he pulled out the chocolate heart. "I also got a rose and a note, but I have no fucking clue who they're from," he said with a sigh. "Just my luck, ne?"

"Well, we could call the store and ask," a smarmy voice purred in his ear.

Jou looked up to see Otogi hovering a little too close to him for his liking, a sycophantic smile on his lips. "Yeah, I doubt that will tell me anything. Besides, what am I supposed to do? Pull a phone out of my ass?" Jou snarked.

Dropping onto the bench between Honda and the blond, the raven-haired teen let out a tinkle of laughter and pulled out his cell phone. "Ask and you shall receive. Let me see that thing." Grabbing Jou's candy, he dialled the number on the small sticker and smiled smugly while he waited for it to be answered. "Yes, hello. I was just wondering if you delivered any dark chocolate and raspberry hearts to Domino High today?...You don't deliver. All right, then have very many been ordered in the last oh, forty-eight hours?" His face fell. "You don't say. Well, thank you for your time." As he ended the call, he cursed softly.

"How many, Babe?" Honda asked.

"Two hundred and thirty-six," Otogi stated incredulously, paling slightly.

"Well, do you think it could have something to do with the fact that it's Valentine's Day, you retard?" Jou said curtly as he snatched his gift back. "And quit putting your hands all over it; you're going to fucking melt it." Scowling, the blond turned his attention back to his lunch, only to throw down his spoon in disgust when he heard the two couples discussing their respective plans for the evening. "I'll see you in class this afternoon," he snapped as he grabbed his tray and stood up. "I'm going outside." He grabbed his brownie, dumped his half-eaten lunch into the trash, and then headed for the front doors. Shivering in the cold, February air, he sat down on the front steps and unwrapped his dessert. After a couple of bites, he found he didn't want that, either, and as he threw it into the garbage, he decided to go sit in his classroom and get a jumpstart on his homework. `Not that I've got anything else to do tonight besides make some instant noodles and watch TV.' When he entered the room, he froze, his breath hitching in his throat. On his desk sat another red rose and a white card. Hurriedly, he sat down, his fingers trembling as he picked up the soft, creamy paper. Flipping it over, he immediately knew it was from the same author, and he read:

_Il Forno_  
Tonight  
Six-thirty 

_I'll see you there, if for nothing more, then dinner as friends._

Jou's heart gave a small flutter. Whoever this person was, they had obviously done their homework. First, they had given him his absolute favourite flavour of chocolate, and then they'd invited him to dinner at his favourite restaurant. He didn't know whether to be flattered by the thoughtfulness or concerned by the quasi-stalker like behaviour. For several moments, he worried his lip in thought. He had no idea what he would be walking into if he went, but he would be in a public place and able to make a run for it if need be.  
Besides, _someone_ was interested in him, and even _if_ Jou later decided that he couldn't stand whoever it was, having dinner out with somebody was a hell of a lot better than eating ramen noodles from a Styrofoam cup with nobody. His mind made up, he turned his attention to his homework assignments and, by the time classes had resumed for the afternoon session, he had completed them. Now all he had to do was stay out of detention, and he would be golden.

Math was his last period class. He had nearly crowed in delight when the principal had come in to tell them the sensei had gone home sick at lunch with food poisoning, and that they were to work on an assigned problem set instead. Thanking every deity he could think of, he whipped out a pencil and immediately got to work. Feverishly, he had raced through the problems, groaning softly when he got to the last two. Try as he might, he was unable to get the solution that was printed in the back of the book, and the more he struggled with it, the more frustrated he was becoming.

"Here."

Jou turned in the direction of the voice and found himself staring into a pair of sapphire blue eyes. Frowning in confusion, he glanced at the half sheet of paper Kaiba handed to him, his brows arching in surprise when he saw that it was the `trick' he needed for solving the equation.

"Sometimes, to get the answer you're looking for, all you need is a hint."

"Thanks," he replied as he returned to his questions, idly wondering why the brunet was suddenly so inclined to help him out. It wasn't that Kaiba had been acting like that much of a jerk lately; in fact, other than the occasional, curt nod, they barely spoke. There were times when it looked as if the taller teen _wanted_ to say something, but then, he'd just snort contemptuously and storm away. Setting down his pencil, he shook his head. Kaiba was definitely a puzzle – and one he certainly wouldn't mind trying to solve. He was so lost in his thoughts that he missed the final bell, and it was only when Honda gave him an elbow in the ribs that he looked up.

"You planning on spending the night here?" the fin-haired brunet joked good-naturedly. "Come on, man, it's time to go home." He waited while Jou packed up his things, and as they were walking to their lockers, he asked, "Hey, `togi and I aren't really doing anything until later. You want us to stop by your place for a while?"

"Nah, it's ok. I don't need the pity party, and besides, I don't want to watch the two of you make out on our couch. But, I will take a ride home if you're offering."

"That's fine, but I'm giving Otogi a ride, too," he said, breaking into a smile and waving when he saw the raven-haired teen approaching them.

The blond considered this for about half a second before he nodded silently and, with a smirk, called, "Shotgun."

* * *

Jou sighed in exasperation as he rifled through his closet for what felt like the billionth time as he tried to figure out what to wear. A dozen or so discarded things lay strewn about his bed and on the floor, and as he shoved his bangs from his eyes, he suddenly felt very out of his element. Normally, he and his father would stroll down to Il Forno clad in t-shirts and jeans and sit in the front part of the restaurant, among the blue-collar workers and families that were out with their young children. His father would chat with Angelo, the proprietor, in Italian about New York City, and their families, and countless other topics. Jou couldn't speak a word of Italian, save for the names of the dishes set before him. However, he had been around enough conversations to understand most of what the two older men were discussing. Somehow, he doubted that that was where he'd be dining tonight.

No, tonight he would most likely be in the back half of the restaurant which Angelo had set up to resemble an intimate Italian bistro. Of course there were the requisite, somewhat cliché, red and white checked tablecloths, but the tables themselves were spaced far enough apart to afford guests privacy with their conversations, and along one brick wall, he had set about a half dozen booths into small, secluded alcoves. The lighting was soft and romantic, most of it provided by candlelight, the rest coming from heavy bronze sconces set into the walls and antique chandeliers. It wasn't so formal that one had to wear a suit and tie, but it was definitely a bit classier than he was used to. "God _damn_ it!" he cursed loudly as he sat down on the edge of his bed and then flopped onto his back, staring sullenly at the ceiling. He heard the phone ring and, fumbling blindly on his nightstand, he grabbed the handset from the base. "'Lo?" he muttered. "Hey Hon…No, really, thanks, but like I told you at school, I'm ok. Besides, I've got plans…I've got a date… Yeah, ha-ha, with my left hand. Fuck you, real mature…You're an asshole, of course it's with a person…It's a blind date, I don't know who it is…Yeah, I'll tell you all the sordid details tomorrow...Never mind, you nosy bastard!…Tell Otogi to go to hell; I'm not ten years old, and I don't need dating advice from him… Whatever…Bye."

Tossing the phone onto his pillow, he continued to stare dourly into space as time ticked by. Shortly after five, he heard the front door open and his dad call out. A few moments later, there was a gentle knock on his door, and the older Jounouchi peered in, still dressed in his flight suit from the day. Slowly, Jou turned his gaze to the door and gave his father an indifferent wave. "Hey, Dad," he murmured.

Stepping further into the room, the older man arched an eyebrow as his eyes travelled from the carelessly tossed clothing, to the open closet that currently looked like ground zero, to the glowering form on the bed. "Hey yourself," he replied gently. "Something on your mind?"

"It's just…I've got a stupid date and I don't know what the fuck to wear!"

"Ooh!" the elder Jounouchi teased, giving his son a wide smile. "My son's going out on a _date_! And on Valentine's Day no less! Where? And with anyone I know?" He knew better than to assume male or female, having long ago learned of Katsuya's preference for both sides.

"Shut up," Jou groused, the twinkling of his eyes belying his petulant tone. "Il Forno. And it's a blind date, so _I_ don't know who it is."

Fluttering his eyelashes and playfully clutching at his heart, the stockier blond gushed, "Oh, and a _secret admirer_ too! You want me to call Angelo and have him keep an eye on you?" He laughed when Jou gave him the finger. "Well, my little Romeo…I think I can hook you up for your `big night'." He disappeared for a few minutes, and when he returned, he was carrying a long sleeved, dark burgundy polo shirt and a black leather three-quarter length jacket. "You want to be `dressy casual', whatever the fuck that means," he stated as he handed the garments to Jou. "The shirt'll probably be a bit big on you, but it should be ok. Wear the jacket, and if you're overdressed for what your `date' has on, pretend it's your coat and take it off. You've still got those black Dockers, ne?" He saw the younger blond nod his head, and he gave a small grunt of approval. "Right. Wear them, and for fuck's sake, lose the sneakers and wear the dress shoes  
I bought you, and you're good to go."

Slowly, Jou sat up, his eyes shining gratefully as he looked at his father. "Thanks, Dad," he said softly, his fingers running lightly over the smooth, cool leather of the jacket. "I don't know what to say…"

Giving his son a crooked smile, the older man replied, "Say you're happy, tell me that I'm the father of the year, and let me get ready for my date, and we'll call it even, ne?" He winked at Jou when the other nodded, and before he left, he said, "See you in the morning – and if you need more time, hang a hat on the doorknob." Bursting into laughter at the horrified expression on Jou's face, he shut the door behind him, whistling as he headed for his own room.

`My father's a fucking pervert!' Jou mused to himself, chuckling as he knelt down in front of his closet and started searching for his shoes. `Now I know where _I_ got it from…' He quickly located one of the chunky, black Oxfords, cursing as he started rooting in the very back of the closet for the other. Holding it up in triumph, he crawled out and, for a moment, lay panting and sweating on the floor. Seeing the time, he hurriedly returned everything else to his closet, and, as soon as he heard his father come out of the bathroom, he dashed in to grab a fast shower. Quickly realizing that his hair, once again, was going to do what it wanted, he left it to its own devices, splashed on some of his cologne, and threw on his clothes. "Fuck, I'm going to be late," he moaned plaintively, wondering how long the other person would wait before deciding he wasn't coming. He was about to run out the door when his father stopped him. Whimpering as he saw that he had a scant ten minutes to travel four blocks, he turned to the older man, transferring his weight from one foot to the other impatiently. "Yeah, Dad?"

His father stepped into the hallway, dressed in a midnight blue suit, a dark grey shirt and a metallic, slate grey tie. "How do I look?"

Jou's mouth dropped open in shock. He had seen old pictures of his father in his uniform and had always thought the man had exuded an air of self-confidence and pride in his dress blues. A smile curved across his lips as he looked into the aged face and saw the same poised, dignified expression. "You look good, Dad. Real good. She's crazy if she says no."

The elder Jounouchi broke into a wide grin at the compliment. "I feel good, too. It's been a long time since I have, Katsuya. I…" He trailed off uncertainly, his grin faltering slightly.

"It's cool, Dad. I understand," Jou said quietly, mirroring the tremulous smile. "Say hi to Seiku, and give her a kiss on the cheek from me. Now I _really_ have to run!"

"Hey, let your old man give you a ride; it's the least he can do, ne?" The voice was low and husky, the green eyes shining with emotion. Jou nodded, and wordlessly, the two headed downstairs to the old, brown Toyota. As he pulled the car to a stop about two shops down from the restaurant, the stocky blond put a hand on his son's arm to stop him, and then handed him some money. "You just never know when you might need some," he murmured.

Discretely, Jou thumbed through the bills, his eyes widening as he blurted out, "Dad, this is way too much. I don't –"

" _Take_ it, Katsuya. If you don't use it, you can give it back later, ok? Now, quit being an ass and arguing with me, and get going before you're late."

"I…Thanks, Dad," Jou said as he climbed from the small sedan and closed the door. He waved when the car pulled back into traffic and, feeling all his nervousness and apprehension return with full force, he made his way toward the restaurant.

* * *

He had been waiting for about five minutes when he heard a booming voice behind him call out, "Hey, Cagnolino! Why're you standing outside? You know I've always got a table for you!" He felt a crippling weight on his shoulder and turning to smile weakly at the large, dark-haired owner, he said, "Hey, Angelo. I'm waiting for someone – they said they'd be here at six-thirty."

"Ah! A night for amore, ne?" Angelo said teasingly, giving the blond a wink, and laughing delightedly at the pink flush on Jou's cheeks. "All right, when you're ready, come inside and I'll make sure you get the _best_ table in the house, ok?"

Jou nodded, wincing slightly when the Italian man gave him a hearty slap on the back. "Fucking Christ!" he muttered under his breath, stretching slightly before trying to work the kink out of his shoulder.

"Are you all right?"

Jou froze, his eyes widening in shock when he heard the sensual tenor. Whirling around in disbelief, his mouth dropped open when he saw Kaiba Seto standing next to him on the sidewalk. He was dressed in slim-fitting black wool trousers and a black button down shirt, his hands casually resting in his pockets as his heavy, black wool trench coat fluttered out behind him. As his eyes roved over the elegant figure in front of him, the only thing he could manage was an incredulous, "Kaiba? What are you doing here?" As soon he had spoken the words, he mentally berated himself for, once again, sounding completely clueless and stupid.

Smirking at the flustered blush that coloured the blond's cheeks, he drawled, "I have a dinner appointment. I would have been here sooner, but I was unavoidably detained. Mokuba was slow about getting his things together for tonight."

"You? With me?" Jou squeaked in disbelief. "Since when?"

The brunet sighed. "Since I stopped listening to my head and started listening to my heart. There have always been sparks…I was just wrong about the type."

"Right," Jou replied with a smirk. "All of a sudden you decide that you don't hate me and want to be with me. Nice try; I know how far you'll go to humiliate me."

A brief flash of hurt flickered across the sapphire gaze before it was pushed down and transformed into cold anger. "Not _once_ have I ever said I hated you, and I tried _many_ times to talk to you about this, but I couldn't figure out _what_ to say, so I said nothing! And this…verbal disaster right here only illustrates my point," he seethed lowly. "As for humiliating you, I'm glad to know you hold me in such high regard. There are far easier ways to do it that don't involve me embarrassing myself in the process." In exasperation, he swore under his breath and gave a disparaging snort. "You know how I feel about you; I've laid it all out for you today. Hell, either tell me it's the same for you, or tell me I'm wrong and I'll try to put this indignity behind me."

Jou stared at the brunet, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. He knew Kaiba was pissed – he'd seen him that way far too many times to not be one hundred per cent sure about that. But the other, softer emotions – he had never really had an opportunity to see the other so open, so vulnerable… He had to be sure. "Kiss me," he stated finally.

"What?"

"I want to know you're not faking…if you can kiss me and mean it, I'll know you're serious."

"You still don't believe me?"

"God damn it, Kaiba, just do it!"

"This is ridiculous," he growled as he stepped closer to the blond. "I don't know what you're going to learn from a ki-" He was silenced by a pair of warm lips being pressed to his and, after overcoming his initial wide-eyed shock, he allowed his eyes to drop closed as he slid his arms around Jou's waist and drew him closer. Slowly, he deepened the kiss, his tongue lightly skating along Jou's bottom lip before slipping inside the moist heat of his mouth. A low moan escaped him when Jou responded to the intrusion and, when they finally broke apart, he was left panting, breathless, dizzy, and more than a little aroused.

"Wow," Jou murmured softly as he turned his smouldering amber eyes to the brunet. "God damn, you can kiss, Kaiba!"

"That's all you have to say?" he asked incredulously, eyeing the blond in stunned disbelief.

"No," Jou replied, a small smile on his lips. "I accept."

Seto's brow furrowed in confusion. "Accept? Accept what? Oh!" His blue eyes brightened as he realized what the blond was talking about. "You do know the chocolate was simply a metaphor, ne?" he asked teasingly.

"Fuck you, I'm not that stupid," the blond replied, giving him a brilliant smile.

"I know you're not. You're just oblivious when it comes to clues," he said with a smirk. "In math this afternoon, I'd all but told you it was me that had left the gifts for you, and I figured that equation note with _my handwriting_ on it would have tipped you off." He chuckled softly when Jou flushed a brilliant crimson and, slipping his hand into the blond's, he asked, "Are you ready for dinner?"

Peering shyly up at the brunet through his bangs, he replied, "If it's all the same to you, would you mind if we maybe got it to go and just went back to my place to talk for a while?"

"I think that would be just perfect," Seto replied as he led him into the restaurant. Once inside, the pair was immediately accosted by Angelo.

"Cagnolino!" he beamed as his eyes flicked from the blond to the snickering brunet and back. "Such a lovely couple you are; I have a table all ready for you in the back. _Very_ private…"

"Angelo, thank you for your kindness, but we're going to get our dinner to go instead."

Smirking at the pair, the restaurateur teased, "Ah, our little one has more _important_ things to do, ne? What would you like?"

Jou glanced over at Seto, who shrugged. "Whatever's ready," he replied with a grin.

Angelo turned to the kitchen and from the doorway called for Giuseppe, the sous-chef. After a brief conversation in Italian, he came back over to where Seto and Jou were waiting. "It'll just be a couple minutes, Cagnolino," he said as he set a glass of Coke in front of each of them before turning to talk to a different party.

"All right!" Jou said excitedly as he turned to Seto. "We're getting an antipasto, homemade garlic sticks, baked shells Florentine and the chicken ravioli in Alfredo sauce!" Dropping his voice, he added, "And Angelo told Giuseppe to put in some of the homemade cannoli."

A few minutes later, Angelo came back with a large bag and, after Seto had paid, the two began the short walk back to Jou's apartment. Carefully, the blond plated their meal and, turning to Seto he asked, "So, do you want to watch a movie or something?"

"Actually, I was enjoying the conversation."

Smiling, Jou poured them each a drink and joined the brunet at the table. "Yeah, me too," he said as he started to eat.

"I didn't know you spoke Italian," Seto said after a few minutes, setting down his fork and smirking mischievously.

"I don't," Jou replied as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. "My dad does, though. He's American, but his mother was Italian. Over the years, I've managed to piece together a lot of what's going on when he and Angelo get talking."

"Oh, well that explains why you let Angelo call you by that name and not me, then."

"Call me by _what_ name?" Jou asked warily.

"Cagnolino. Do you know what it means?"

"Haven't got a clue," Jou answered. "All I know is that it means `little something'. Angelo's called me that for as long as I've known him, and that's got to be a good…ten years, maybe?"

The brunet's smirk widened. "It means `puppy'."

The blond dropped his fork with a clatter and his eyes went wide. "You're shitting me!"

Now chuckling, Seto shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he snickered. "How long have you been fighting me calling you that, now? I told you it was a fitting name."

"Well, isn't that just fucking _perfect_!" Jou huffed, glowering at the brunet. "You probably think this is great, don't you?"

Seto's smile softened as he stared into the heated, amber pools in front of him. "I think it's amusing, definitely endearing, but great? Hn, I suppose that there is something great about it."

"Yeah, and what's that?" he grumbled. "The fact that now you can call me a dog in two languages?"

"Seven, actually. I can speak seven languages." Ignoring the blond's look of surprise, he continued, "But no, that's not it. It's the person attached to the name." Slowly, he leaned over and brushed a gentle kiss across Jou's lips, coming back moments later for a deeper, slightly more aggressive taste. Settling back in his chair, he gave the other teen a genuine smile and returned to his meal.

When they had finished, Jou quickly cleaned up their dishes, suggesting that perhaps they could have dessert in the living room. Settling onto the couch, Jou once again peeked shyly up at the brunet as he hesitantly took the other's hand in his. "Kaiba?"

"Seto."

Jou flushed, his eyes falling half-closed as he said quietly, "Seto?"

"Yes, Jou?"

"Katsuya."

The brunet chuckled softly before purring sensually, "Yes, _Katsuya_?"

"Will you…Do you think we can kiss again like we did outside the restaurant?"

Smiling, Seto grasped Jou's chin lightly in his hand and leaned forward, slowly capturing the full, slightly parted lips with his own. Purring low in the back of his throat, he once again slipped his tongue into the sweet, hot mouth, languidly exploring every dip and surface. Leaning farther forward, he pressed his weight against Jou's body, gradually easing him down onto the couch, one hand moving to lightly stroke the flaxen tresses, the other running along the firm, yet pliant, body beneath him. Slowly, he stretched his body out alongside the blond's, gently pressing one thigh between Jou's legs, and loosing an appreciative moan when he felt the obvious hardness against him. Ending the kiss, he slowly opened his eyes, his lust-darkened gaze meeting an equally fiery amber one. "Like that?" he whispered.

"I was thinking more like this," Jou breathed huskily as he twined his arms around the brunet's neck and pulled him down, lightly nipping the bottom lip and then tugging gently, mewling in pleasure when he felt Seto's tongue once again come out to play. Writhing underneath the larger teen, he groaned wantonly when their arousals brushed and, dessert all but forgotten on the coffee table, he made his kisses hungrier, needier. For several hours, the two slowly learned about each others bodies through soft, exploratory caresses, feather-light touches and harsh, demanding embraces, bringing themselves to the height of their arousal, but never going any further – neither one wanting to rush. Finally, exhausted but content, they simply lay together and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

The next morning when the elder Jounouchi and his new fiancée came home, they saw the two boys snuggled together on the couch, the blond head tucked into the crook of the brunet's neck, arms and legs twined together as if their separation would be fatal. Giving his bride-to-be a small smirk, he whispered, "Maybe we'll invite him out for lunch instead," and then closed the door carefully behind him. Back on the couch, Jou stirred slightly, having half-woken at the sound of the door clicking shut. Nestling deeper into the brunet's arms, he drifted back to sleep, a small smile on his lips as he silently thanked a creepy looking Honda-Cupid in a baggy diaper for looking out for him.


End file.
